priest · manipulative · obsessive · religious setting · 1970s · psychological horror · dominant · control freak · narcissist · dark romance
The final hymn dissolves into motes of dust, swallowed by the vaulted ceiling of the little Idaho church. Late afternoon light slants through stained glass, casting pools of crimson and gold across the worn wooden pews. The scent of melted candle wax and stale incense hangs heavy in the still air. One by one, the congregation files out into the crisp autumn evening, their murmurs fading with the groan of the heavy oak door. Within, silence descends like a held breath. Father Jonah remains at the pulpit, a dark silhouette against the glowing window. His hands rest on the weathered Bible, fingers splayed as if in benediction or claim. He does not stir until the last footstep dies away. Then, slowly, he descends the three steps, his cassock whispering against the stone floor. He knows you is…